and I wasn’t being reckless or anything. I wasn’t even pushed or shoved or anything.”
“I really wish you’d stop this job. I was annoyed enough when you wanted to join homicide and now this? Your arm and leg aren’t made for this stuff. They’re there to help you function normally, not galivant around with a gun in one hand and a badge in the other,” Watson says.
Finn stares at the ground as he thinks about it. “I’m… I know you don’t like me putting them through that much stuff, but I promise I’m actually very careful. I really like my job, and you know I like being able to help people. You’ve made it so I can, so please, Watson, please believe me.”
Watson reaches out and cups Finn’s face before giving a gentle pat. “Just… be good.” He turns to look at me. “I assume you’re keeping a close eye on him, right?”
“An excellent eye, I promise,” I say.
“Alright.” He turns to Finn. “And you promise to be careful?”
“I promise,” Finn says.
“No more stress on it.” He hands Finn a gown. “Put this on so you’re not freezing in your underwear.”
“Thanks.”
Watson and Charlie leave the two of us alone so he can change clothes.
“I’m not sure why I also have to take my shirt off,” he says as I step up to the examination table and reach out to his button-up. “Or maybe you just want to see my muscled pecs too!”
“I bet it’s so he can see if your arm is stressed and if you’re taking your prostheses off at night,” I say.
“I take them off! Most of the time…”
Finn glances down as I undo another button. He’s always so fixated on being independent that I’m glad when he allows me to take care of him. He doesn’t need to worry about me treating him like glass. I know that for him to have made it as far as he has, he’s had to be unbelievably strong.
“What are you staring at? My chest hair?” he teases.
I snort as I pinch at his nonexistent “chest hair” while he gives me a grin. “Where? I don’t think your body knows that chest hair is supposed to be on the chest.”
“You say that like I have hair somewhere else. Is this about the mustache I tried growing?”
I shake my head, knowing that he has as much hair elsewhere as he does on his chest. “Yes, that’s what this is about. I was hoping you could do something about that.” I push the shirt off his shoulders and fold it before setting it on a chair.
“Now you get to strip me even more. Are you getting excited?”
“Horribly. I can barely contain the excitement,” I dryly say as he starts pushing his pants down. “Hold up. I thought I get to do it?”
“You were taking five years folding my shirt. It doesn’t need to be folded! My goal is to get out of here as quickly as possible. Go see if Watson will be bribed. Remind him that I’m the best patient he’s ever had.”
“I’m not bribing anyone. You can bribe me if you want, but that’s it.” I guide his jeans over his ankles and slide them off as he pulls the gown on. Once it’s tied, I get Watson who is talking with Charlie.
“He’s ready,” I say.
The two come in and while Charlie chats with Finn about what he’s been up to and his new position, Watson examines Finn’s prosthesis.
“You swear you did nothing?” Watson asks. “And you’ve been taking it off?”
Finn nods. “Yes, I was good, and I took it off. Ask Marcus!”
Watson turns to me, clearly not believing Finn. He watches me a moment with a raised eyebrow. “So?”
“Yeah, he takes it off every night before getting in bed. He’s been good about it even if I have to remind him occasionally.”
“The funny thing is he shouldn’t need to be reminded when he’s been like this for about thirteen years.”
“Are you guys still talking? See what I have to deal with, Charlie?” Finn asks, like his life is so dramatic because he’s continually forced to listen to Watson and me berate him.
“Life’s horribly hard when you’re cute and have big eyes and a huge smile, didn’t you know?” I ask Charlie. “When you’re like that, you definitely don’t get everything you’ve ever wanted.”
“Evil,” Finn whispers. “Pure. Pure. Evil.”
“You’re cute if you think I’m the evil one in the room,” I say as I look right at Finn who just grins,